"I heard and I was glad that Nikos Christodoulides declares that he is a Synergist. I would have loved him, after our bold and courageous proposal to go to the grassroots, to have run in his own party. From there he made his decision not to contest through the internal party processes. We respect his decision."
This was Averof Neophytou's first comment immediately after submitting his candidacy through DISY's procedures, when asked to comment on what Nikos Christodoulides said yesterday in submitting his resignation from the governing body.
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The issue of party order and whether Christodoulides will make things difficult for DISY
When asked whether there is a question of party order for Nikos Christodoulides if and when he moves outside the party framework, Mr. Neophytou replied that he cares about the future of this country and everyone is a free citizen to do what he thinks is right. In the last few days, he said, he heard and was pleased that Nikos Christodoulides declared that he is a Synergy member. "I would have loved him, after our bold and courageous proposal to go to the grassroots, to have run as a candidate in his own party. From then on he made his decision not to contest through the internal party processes. We respect his decision."
Asked whether a candidacy of Nikos Christodoulides would make it difficult for DISY to win another five-year term in the Presidency of the Republic, Neophytou said that DISY "will be in power again. I say this with great modesty because we consider it our obligation to ensure, through the right policies, the stability of the country." For this reason, he said, he stressed that they are trustworthy when talking to other parties. It was evident in the nine years, he continued, when a government of a parliamentary minority managed to obtain the necessary majority in parliament with the right manipulations, because parties in the centrist opposition behaved responsibly "and we behaved credibly."
Asked if there is introversion in DISY, he said that he does everything he can every day to ensure not only the unity of DISY but also the stability of the country. This, he said, is the historical role of this party. "And I, as President of this party, regardless of the manifestation of my interest to run as a candidate of my party, for the good of the country, I had, have and will continue to prioritize both the unity of my party and the interest and good of my country."
Asked whether he believes that there is an ideological differentiation with Mr. Christodoulides and whether this crisis is fuelled only on an ideological spectrum, the DISY President replied, "My name is Averof Neophytou. I think someone else should be asked this question, if he has different ideological views or different policies from what the historic DISY party stands for." Which, he continued, ruled for 10 years under Glafkos Clerides and achieved the greatest historical success since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, integrating Cyprus into the EU, noting that everyone, "even those who had misgivings", invoke Europe every day.
We won a second 10 years as DISY, through party processes, he said, achieving under Nicos Anastasiades' administration an economic recovery and a management of the pandemic that ensured economic stability and a rich reform programme.
Discussions with everyone... much separates them from AKEL
Asked if he will seek partnerships, Neophytou said the DISY Politburo will meet online tomorrow and is expected to give him the green light. Before March 12, he added, when the Supreme Council will convene, where final decisions will be made, he is expected to start contacts as President of DISY and as the party's candidate for the presidential election. "To change our country even for the better, because we have had a very good and successful government." He reiterated that there was an economic recovery, the pandemic was successfully managed, important reforms were made, "without saying that we did not commit mistakes. We have strong foundations."
Through the "Cyprus Tomorrow" programme, he added, they will continue on this path. "To put it into practice we need partnerships and majorities in Parliament. I am ready, in a very credible way, to enter into a dialogue to build these alliances, and I think - again humbly - that we know how to build alliances."
Asked whether all forces are welcome for cooperation or some are excluded, Neophytou said that DISY is a liberal party in favour of an open economy and reforms, which supports in practice the development of the economy and believes in Europe. "Whichever party shares these views, we are ready for an honest and credible dialogue on a common programme for the country."
But, he continued, there is a lot separating them from AKEL. Different philosophy and different practices, they are conservative, against everything liberal, he said, in an approach he heard last night from the General Secretary of AKEL. "Instead of a proposal to block the way for DISY. To achieve what? To bring back the AKEL policies that led us to economic bankruptcy and since then our people and all political forces have been struggling to get us back on our feet? And we did. With AKEL always putting obstacles and being an obstacle not only to the country's recovery but also against anything modern and reformist. For sure, I will not enter into a dialogue with AKEL."
Asked whether he would seek cooperation with the EDEK, which has renounced the IOA as a solution to the Cyprus problem, the DISY President said "you know our positions on the Cyprus problem and the economy. You should know something, they can say many things to DISY and Averoff, but they cannot attribute only one thing to us, that we have no positions". On the other hand, he added, "we have flexibility and we proved it in practice". He cited as an example the YESY and the support of the single insurance policy, the work in Parliament for nine years and in March 2013. "Not only do we find alliances at home, but also in the face of a Troika, in the face of the risk of a national bankruptcy, DISY and its leadership stood firm and strong, in the front line". We did not hide but found solutions under the circumstances, he added, as when they found themselves without a budget.
We are not a party of exclusions, he continued, saying that with AKEL there is an issue "with its ideology but also with its actions. They live and politicise to be anti-austerity."
Asked if he wanted to send a message to DIKO "which seems to be wooing AKEL, Mr. Neophytou said that DIKO belongs to the centrist area, when it was in opposition it supported the economic recovery course of the scab, it voted in the traditional way on all budgets - it did so again this year "and of course we are open with DIKO and with all other forces."
He believes, he said, that DISY has much more in common with the centrist area than the centrist area has with the left.
"Crab and shark"
Asked whether the country needs a "crab or a shark", Averof Neophytou replied that "the country needs a leader to be able to deal with sharks. And opposite us we have a Turkey that is a shark, but we also have many such sharks in the international arena. And we need a leader who can cope with these behaviors of Turkey and in the international arena."
Asked if DISY will hold an ideological conference, Averof Neophytou replied "of course, it is planned." He said that the process for DISY to decide its presidential candidate is one thing and the congress is another "not to change our identity, our heart and soul. It is there, in the founding declaration. But we are a modern party that has to keep up with the pace of the times. With the same fundamentals, but embossed with the modern, the green economy and digital transformation, with radical reforms for a better tomorrow."
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